Tips, sponges, and other cosmetic applicators for applying powder or liquid cosmetic materials have been widely used.
When such applicators are used continuously, cosmetic material picked up on the application face accumulates, making the surface of the application part look dirty. In addition, such accumulation of cosmetic material on the application face reduces the amount of cosmetic material that can be picked up by the application face during makeup application, and also reduces the amount of cosmetic material released onto the skin surface.
This makes it necessary to perform more release operations during makeup application, compared to when a new applicator is used.
From the viewpoint of hygiene, etc., bacteria grow easily inside the applicator, especially when liquid cosmetic material is applied, because the cosmetic material permeates into the applicator.
Particularly in the case of cream eye shadow or other cream cosmetic material, a normal tip having embossed patterns or porous irregularity on its surface would allow the cosmetic material to enter the concaved parts and prevent it from being released favorably onto the skin surface during makeup application.
In addition, the cosmetic material permeates into such cosmetic applicator after a single use, and therefore using one cosmetic applicator for cosmetic materials of different types, colors, etc., would cause these different cosmetic materials to rise to the surface of the cosmetic applicator and a mixture of cosmetic materials may be released onto the skin surface, thus making it difficult to achieve a desired makeup finish.
This makes it necessary to prepare a cosmetic applicator for each type of cosmetic material, such as cosmetic material of each color, which leads to problems such as having to carry a bulky cosmetic kit.
One known example of such cosmetic applicator is the cosmetic puff described in Patent Literature 1, which has air bubbles formed on its surface in such a way that 90% or more of the air bubbles have a pore diameter of 0.2 to 2 mm, in order to achieve appropriate foundation-holding property. Patent Literature 2 also describes a liquid-cosmetic applicator made of latex foam, but there is no mention of its holding property and release property with respect to cosmetic material.
Patent Literature 3 describes a cosmetic sponge puff made of micro-porous urethane resin obtained from a material mixed with a certain water/oil repellent, and claims that this puff can prevent liquid cosmetic material from being absorbed into the puff.
Patent Literature 4 describes a cosmetic material-supporting layer constituted by a resin film supporting enough cosmetic material to last for several makeup sessions, and claims that, by adjusting the average centerline surface roughness of the layer to a range of 3.5 to 10 μm, drop-out of cosmetic material can be prevented and residues of cosmetic material after scrape-off become less conspicuous; however, what is described in this literature is none other than a free sample powder compact.